HC Deb 10 November 1977 vol 938 cc195-6W
Mr. Marten

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish in the Official Report the percentage by which world food prices are now below EEC prices, using the same list and basis of calculations as used by the EEC Commission in its annual report "The Agricultural Situation in the Cornmunity—1976 ".

Mr. Bishop:

The Commission has not published any revision of the list given in "The Agricultural Situation in the Community 1976 Report" issued in January 1977, and since that report does not make completely clear how the Commission defines either EEC entry prices or "world market" prices, it is not possible to give precisely equivalent figures for a more recent date. On the basis of other Commission publications, however, the figures below give broadly equivalent information for the six months to the end of June 1977. They give EEC entry prices as a percentage of "world market" prices but since the prices used to represent "world market" prices are in general based on the lowest offer prices of individual consignments, they can in no sense be taken to represent the prices at which regular trade takes place.

Common wheat 223
Durum wheat 253
Husked rice 160
Barley 154
Maize 168
White sugar 221
Live bovine animals 160
Pigmeat 130
Eggs 123
Butter 389
Skimmed milk powder (spray) 559
Olive oil N/A
Oilseeds N/A